Objective:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of homonyms by either
identifying homonyms and talking about their proper use within a text
excerpt, or creating a poster with a non-example, example and explicated
rule.

(Other goals: to have the students understand and clarify
the differences between the common homonyms, there/their/they’re,
two/2/to/too, your/you’re and it’s/its. To familiarize students with
Inspiration. To help students gain confidence in sharing out loud. To connect
prior knowledge to the current context.)

Silent reading: 10 minutes.

Partner up, put your desks together.

Tell your partner about what you read. 30 seconds

Does anyone want to share something about what they read,
or what their partner read? (Since you have to give book talks next week…)

Now I want two sets of partners to get together to make
groups of 4 (or 5), and after you’ve done that to take out a piece of paper
and a pen or pencil.

(You all know that I’m a student teacher, so that means
that this year I am learning how to be a teacher. This is my very first time
teaching eighth grade, so at the end of the class period, I’m going to ask
you how you think I did, and whether you learned something today.)

We’re going to talk about Homonyms today, so
on the top of your paper I want you to write the word homonym. First I want
you to silently brain storm for 30 seconds about what you know about
homonyms: what is a homonym? It is okay if you don’t know, guess, but I think
some of you will know. What are some examples. Ready go:

Now I want you to share in your groups what you wrote down
for the next minute.

Now as a class I want us to brainstorm what
homonyms are.

I’m going to use this computer program to help us brainstorm.
So raise your hands and tell me what you think homonyms are. You can tell me
what someone in your group thought if you didn’t know…

Great, now what are some examples?

Homonyms are common spelling mistakes, even for adults—even
for English teachers! (I often times will write “know” when I mean “no”).
Spell checkers do not catch this spelling mistakes, because in mis-spelling
one word, you’ve spelled another word correctly. Sometimes homonyms make
reading sentences confusing.

The ones that
we are going to focus on today are:
their, there, they’re
your, you’re
to, too and two
it’s and its. (hand out the hand out)

Read over the hand out (from Nancie Atwell) together,
and read the sentences about M&M’s that are there to help you remember
the differences in the homonyms.

Here are some sentences for you to fill in the blanks. You
can do this in your groups. As soon as you’re done, put your heads down on
your desk. (Go through all the exercises.)

If there is time, let students choose between reading the
section of The Great Rat Hunt and analyzing the homonyms used, or
making posters to put on the wall. For the posters, the groups need to choose
one of the homonyms we focused on to make a poster about: make up a sentence
using the homonym wrong, then correct it, then write out the rules for that
set of words.

Now that we’ve gone over this, in your writing I expect
you to use the homonym that you mean.

5 minutes before the end of class, have them put their
desks back and turn their paper over: answer questions: What did you learn in
class today? What did you like that we did today? What didn’t you like? Do
you have any comments for me? (Did I talk too fast, or too quiet…? )

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound alike but mean and are
spelled differently. Homonym means, literally, “same name.” Improper
use of a homonym is a spelling error with extreme consequences (e.g.
lashings).

Commonly Misspelled Homonyms: Definitions and Examples

THEIR—Belongs to a them(The teacher stole their
M&M’s.)

THEY’RE—They are (They’re the world’s best
candies.)

THERE—In
that place; as an introductory adverb (There they are: on the
teacher’s
desk. There can never be enough M&M’m.)

TWO—The
number 2 (Two or three packages of M&M’s provide a nutritious
after-
school snack.)

TOO—In addition (ALSO) or more than enough (He, too,
eats too many M&M’s.)

TO—Preposition
meaning “toward” or used with the infinitive of a verb (I’m goingto M&M heaven, where I’m going to eat many M&M’s.)

1.The Declaration
of Independence draws ______ strength from the writing, most of it Thomas
Jefferson’s.

2.The hermit crab
finished eating ______ dog biscuit.

3.______ going to
be another cold day.

4.I chose this
book because I know ______ author.

5.I don’t think
______ nice to put your finger in your nose.

6.______ funny
when she gives people the evil eye.

YOUR or YOU’RE?

1.Is that a new
sweater ___________ wearing?

2.Do you think
___________ coming to my house after school?

3.___________
getting on my nerves.

4.Leave
___________ attitude outside.

5.This isn’t
___________ day, is it?

6.I think
___________ great.

Overview Responses

129 responses, 157 enrolled (some absences, some
non-participants)

After the lesson, I asked students to turn over the piece
of paper that they were brainstorming on, and answer the following 3
questions: (1) What did they learn today? (2) What did we do that they liked?
(3) What should I do different to be a better teacher? In some classes I gave
them several examples, some of which were latched onto, as the patterns show.
This page is a conglomeration of their responses; specific class information
follows.

What they said they learned:

About homonyms

Specific homonyms

About a classmate

Nothing (or
nothing new)

Homonym usage

Other

62

30

11

6

5

5

Other: pronunciation, stuff, facts from worksheet, “i
comes before e in most cases”

Quotes: “I
learned that my last name (Nguyen) is a homonym,” “There are a lot of words
that sound the same,” “How to spell Homomnyms right”

What they said they liked:

Working in Groups

Using the
Computer (including Inspiration)

Having Choice in
their final activity

Doing the poster
as the final activity

The interesting
worksheet

Nothing

Others

57

32

11

9

3

2

5

Other: Reading the excerpt as a final activity, “that we
learned,” working as a class, hands-on stuff, not having to write much. (4
students from Period 2 said they liked choosing their own groups.)

Quotes: “It
was alright, but it wasn’t that fun”

What they said I should do different:

Nothing, did
great/good/fine

Speak more
clearly, loudly, or slower

Allow more time
for students to finish activities

Push desks
together before class if working in groups

Allow students to
choose own groups

Other

53

16

10

9

2

12

Other: give out candy, be more organized, check spelling,
make room quieter, turn off all lights so student could see projection
better, get attention better, don’t give out homework in the future,
pronounce student’s name correctly, use overhead instead of computer, explain
more, take class outside.

Quotes: “kept
things going,” “good job teaching us homyms,” “Make things fun and exciting”
“You did well with instructions,” “You did good. I learned a lot today,” “I’m
excited to have you as a teacher,” “I think your a great teacher,” “I think
you did a very great job on your first time teaching.” “You make learning fun
and easy, keep up the great work.” “I was really noisy but you could
hand out free pickles,” “One of our group members has a problem no amount of therepy
will ever cure.”

Period 1. 26 responses. 31 enrolled in
class.

What
did they learn?

Specific
Homonyms: 14

About
Homonyms: 6

Nothing (or
nothing new): 2

About a
Classmate: 1

What
did they like?

Working
in Groups: 9

Using the
Computer (and Inspiration): 4

Having a
choice in their final activity: 1

Doing the
poster at the end: 1

Reading the excerpt in groups at the end:
1

Interesting
worksheet: 1

That we
learned: 1

Comment:
“It was alright, but it wasn’t that fun”

What
should I do differently?

Nothing,
did great/good/fine: 4

Speak
more clearly, louder, or slower: 7

Explain
more: 1

Check
Spelling: 1

Specifics
noted, “kept things going,” “good job teaching us homyms”

Period 2. 17 responses. 26 enrolled in
class.

What
did they learn?

Specific
homonyms: 2

About
homonyms: 5

About a
classmate: 8

Comment: “I learned
that my last name is a homonym (Nguyen)”
“There are a lot of words that sound the same”

What
did they like?

Working
in groups: 8

(That they could pick their own groups: 4)

Using the
computer: 2

Having a
choice in their final activity: 1

Did not
have to write much: 1

What
should I do different?

Nothing,
did great/good/fine: 8

Speak
more clearly, louder, or slower: 1

Need to
allow more time: 1

Push
desks together before class: 1

Pronounce
student’s name correctly: 1

Don’t
give much homework: 1

Specifics: “Make
things fun and exciting” “You did well with instructions” “You did good. I
learned a lot today” “I’m excited to have you as a teacher” “I think your a
great teacher,” “I was really noisy but you could hand out free pickles,”
“One of our group members has a problem no amount of therepy will ever cure.”
“You should be able to pick one person and put two groups of two people
[together] to make a group, so you can work well with some of your group.”
“You could make it quiter,” “I think you could just be like you are. You’re
really fun.”

Period 3. 31 responses. 36 enrolled in class.

What
did they learn?

About
homonyms: 11

Specific
homonyms: 7

Homonym
Usage: 3

About a
classmate: 2

How to
pronounce homonym and other words: 2

Facts
from worksheet: 1
Nothing: 1

Comment: “How to spell
Homomnyms right”

What
did they like?

Working in
groups: 10

Using the
computer: 10

Having a
choice in their final activity: 4

Poster: 2

Working
as a class: 1
Fill-in Worksheet: 1

Nothing:
1

What
should I do different?

Nothing,
did great/good/fine: 11

Push
desks together for group work before class: 4

Speak
more clearly, louder, or slower: 3

Allow
students to choose own groups: 2

Need to
allow more time: 2

Be more
organized: 1

Give out
candy: 1

Make room
quieter: 1

Turn off
all lights to better see projection: 1

Get
attention better: 1

Specifics: “I was
really noisy but you could hand out free pickles” “One of our group members
has a problem no amount of therepy will ever cure.” “You should be able to
pick one person and put two groups of two people [together] to make a group,
so you can work well with some of your group.” “You could make it quiter” “I
think you could just be like you are. You’re really fun.”

Period 4. 33 responses. 36 enrolled in
class.

What
did they learn?

About
homonyms: 25

Specific
homonyms: 4

Homonym
Usage: 1

Stuff: 1

What
did they like?

Working
in groups: 20

Using the
computer (including Inspiration): 14

Having a
choice in their final activity: 2

Poster: 1

Nothing:
1

What should I do different?

Nothing,
did great/good/fine: 24

Speak
more clearly, louder, or slower: 2

Push
desks together for group work before class: 1

Give out
candy: 1

We should
go outside: 1

Use the
overhead not the computer: 1

Specifics: “I think
you did a very great job on your first time teaching.” “You make learning fun
and easy, keep up the great work”